Site Snapshot

ExpressionEngine · v1.0.0 · View on GitHub → · View on Store →

Site Snapshot generates read-only technical snapshots of an ExpressionEngine site for upgrades, migrations, audits, and client/developer handovers.

Compatibility

• ExpressionEngine 7.0+
• PHP 8.0+

Earlier EE/PHP versions are not supported. addon.setup.php declares this explicitly via the requires key, so EE will block installation on unsupported stacks rather than failing unpredictably at runtime.

Requirements

• ExpressionEngine 7.0+
• PHP 8.0+
• MySQL/MariaDB supported by your EE installation

What it captures

Site Snapshot stores structural and diagnostic data, including:

• EE version, PHP version, database platform/version
• Safe config values
• Sites
• Channels
• Channel field groups
• Channel fields
• Status groups and statuses
• Category groups and categories
• Upload directories
• Template groups
• Templates metadata
• Template hashes, byte size, and line count
• Global variable names and value hashes
• Snippet names and content hashes
• Installed modules, extensions, and fieldtypes
• Member groups and roles when available
• Basic database row counts

What it does not capture directly

To reduce accidental leakage, v1 does not store these values directly:

• Template source code
• Snippet contents
• Global variable values
• Field settings contents

For these, the add-on stores hashes and size metrics where useful.

Installation

1. Copy the site_snapshot/ folder into system/user/addons/.
2. Go to Developer → Add-ons or Add-ons → Add-on Manager depending on your EE version.
3. Install Site Snapshot.
4. Open the add-on settings page and click Generate Snapshot.

ExpressionEngine’s add-on installation flow expects add-on folders inside system/user/addons/.

Usage

Generate a snapshot from the Control Panel. Saved snapshots can be downloaded as:

• JSON
• Markdown
• HTML

Recommended usage:

• Before upgrading EE
• After upgrading EE
• Before server migration
• After server migration
• Before a redesign/content model cleanup
• During client handover

Notes

Upload directory paths and URLs may reveal server structure. Treat exported snapshots as internal technical documents.

Access Control

Site Snapshot exports structural site configuration, including add-on lists, template metadata, and base/CP URLs. Access to the module is restricted to Super Admins and members whose role holds the Add-ons (can_admin_addons) permission. Grant this module’s access deliberately — anyone with access can generate, view, download, and delete snapshots.

License

MIT.